Wintertime in Gotham City
by YinSage3321
Summary: Alternate DCAU timeline. Raven lives with Zatanna in Gotham City. She left the Titans 5 years ago, and is currently working at a cafe. Nightwing is impersonating Batman while Bruce is away. The old friends reunite, and inevitably adventures occur.


Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans or any DC Comics properties. These are my first published writings, let me know what you think. Any type of criticism is appreciated. Just no flaming. I respect all ships. This is a "Rob/Rae" themed story. Starfire and BB fans may be offended, but hopefully they can enjoy it anyway. Also I took the liberty of changing Dick Grayson's name to Richie Grayson. It sounds better than Dick or Ric (What they officially changed it to) imho. That being said, if you can deal with those things, then enjoy the story.

* * *

Birds of Feather – The New Dynamic Duo

T'was a frosty morning in Gotham city, golden sunbeams piercing through the silver sky. The air was crisp with that trademark winter freshness. Gothamite commuters huddled into the subway stations. Kids in coats and scarves ran about. "Winter time in the city is truly a beautiful sight to behold." Richie Grayson said to himself as he perched on a rooftop spire, blending in with the stone gargoyles beside him. One of the children takes notice of his presence above them.

"Hey look it's Batman! Hey Batman!"

Lucky for him, it's been a relatively quiet night on patrol. Batman dives backwards, and instinctively draws his grappling gun, firing it at one of Gotham's trademark gothic gargoyles. He zips up the side of a monolithic skyscraper. Scaling the building in seconds. Then releases the hook's vice grip, and somersaults onto the roof of another skyscraper. Not missing a step, Batman sprints to the edge and flings himself into a running jump. He somersaults twice midair and lands flawlessly. His acrobatic skills and agility are second to none. He soon arrives at the alley where he stashed his Bat-cycle. He starts up his motorcycle and speeds off into the distance, toward Wayne Manor. Another night well done, impersonating Batman.

…

"Goodmorning Gotham! Looks like we'll be having a gloomy week this week starting today with a 75% chance of showers..."

Richie hears the murmur of News Reporters' voices as he trudges up the winding stairs leading from the Bat cave to the manor.

He walks in on Alfred watching television and preparing breakfast.

"Good morning Master Richie. Just in time for breakfast. How was patrol?"

"Uneventful. Petty crimes only. And thanks Alfie, smells good."

After scarfing down his breakfast, Richie showers and flops down onto his old bed. Same old routine. And now it's time for some much needed rest.

...

A few hours pass, and Richie is jolted awake by the blaring of his alarm clock. He sits up in bed, stretching his arms above his head. He looks around his old room, now littered with Damian's junk. The kid has a whole mansion to himself and still finds the need to use Richie's old room as his personal stash house.

"I need some tea." he says to himself while fumbling his fingers through his stringy black hair. He goes looking for his organic Chai tea in the kitchen, but all he finds is an empty box. Clearly the work of Damian. Great. Richie needs that tea to keep himself from falling back asleep, he has a long stake out ahead of him. He hops onto his civilian bike and speeds off towards the city. Richie parks his bike a few blocks away from his favorite coffee shop. There's never anywhere to park in Gotham. He walks through the sea of people. There's hardly enough room on the sidewalk, so Richie steps into the street to bypass the slow walkers. As he's doing so, he spots a familiar face in a nearby window. Though he had to make a double take to be sure. From across the street he spies Rachel Roth sitting alone at a window seat in Jo-Ann's, the local café.

Richie runs across the street, stopping traffic and enraging the already pissed off Gotham city drivers. Car horns blare and roughnecks scream out of their windows. He ignores them and enters the café.

"It's her for sure. Hard to tell, now that she has black hair. But that red gem is unmistakable."

Raven has her eyes glued to a thick book, and doesn't notice Richie standing there gawking like an idiot. He returns to his senses and approaches Raven's booth in the back of the room.

"Been a long time, Rae."

She looks up from her book; to see a tall, dark, musclebound prettyboy standing before her. "Richie? I guess I had to run into you sooner or later living in Gotham."

He laughs. "You make it sound like a bad thing."

"Not bad, just unexpected." She motions for him to sit down at her booth.

…

"I wanted a fresh start after I left Jump City. None of us really got the chance to be 'normal', you know? So I decided to give it a try." Said Rachel, as she sipped her milkshake.

"Since when do you like being 'normal'?"

"You know what I mean, Dick!"

He laughs. "Yeah I get you. I'm sure we've all felt that way at some point. So what're you studying?"

"Literature, of course. So much reading that even I dislike it."

"I should have known." Richie jests. "Yeah I hated college."

"I don't know how you managed to graduate with honors plus work your crazy job. How's the crusade anyway? Don't you operate elsewhere now?" Rachel asks.

"Well, yeah. When I'm not forced to fill in for the boss. He's been abroad at 'important board meetings' for months now. And little Timmy fills in for me at my post. It all works out. For Bruce at least." Says Richie, gritting his teeth slightly.

"Ooh, sounds like you two still have some Bad Blood…" Raven jests.

Richie furrows his brow. "Shut up, four eyes."

Rachel laughs. "I hate to cut this reunion short but my lunch break is over."

"Yeah, I should be going too. Let's hang out sometime and catch up though."

"Yeah, I'd like that. I'm off on Friday if you'll be free?"

"Well, I should be. Hopefully I don't get called into work. I'll call you on Friday morning to confirm."

"Cool. See ya, Richie." Says Rachel as she walks him to the door.

He flashes a quick grin as he walks out of the door. "See ya."

Rachel watches Richie disappear into the pedestrian traffic. She ties her apron and wipes off the table she was sitting at.

Zatanna walks in from the kitchen, and sneaks up on Rachel while she's spacing out. "He was a cutie. Who's that? An old lover?"

"Don't be ridiculous." She pulls Zee in close and whispers. "That was the first Boy Wonder. He's grown a bit."

"What? No way! That kid was shorter than me last I remember. He grew from a little cutie into a tall dark hottie! You'd better not let a guy like that slip out of your grasp" chides Zatanna.

"Stop drooling you psycho! Richie and I are like brother and sister. It's always been like that." Raven exclaims frantically.

A customer arrives just in time to save Rae from this torturous conversation. It's a regular patron, ordering his usual of black coffee and a breakfast sandwich. It's another slow weekday afternoon at Jo-Ann's. The place is basically a ghost town during the week. Only in and out café customers show up during the week; and a few students studying. However, the doors are busting down on the weekends, especially when some underground artist is performing or when Zee is doing a show.

After leaving the Justice League, Zatanna used the last of her savings to open Jo-Ann's. It's a café/diner with a bar and jazz club, also an open mic on the weekends. All the Gothamite Hipsters hang out here. Zee needed a steady source of income somehow, since not many people care to see live Magic Shows these days. She could get her performance fix at the open mic events, and also bring in some extra money.

"All in all, I'd say I'm pretty happy. Gotham has a loyal niche of magic enthusiasts. I get to perform weekly, and I don't have to deal with the league breathing down my neck. Not everyone wants to devote their entire existence to fighting crime. I have a decent setup, I'm happy here." Says Zatanna

"I guess I'm happy. I still feel like I'm just floating through life with no real direction. I'm just in school because that's what normal people do. What am I gonna do with a Lit degree? Write poetry for a living? I'm damn sure not becoming a teacher. Ugh, I remember the simple days, chasing down villains, training, and reading. Who'd have thought I'd be the one missing those times?" Says Rachel nostalgically.

"I think you would actually make an excellent poet. Rachel Roth, sounds like the name of a great poet already. I've found your calling!" Zee exclaimed. "And that's why you need to go out with Richie. You could use some excitement in your life, girl. Live it up a little." She pats Rae on the shoulder as she rinses soapy dishes.

"I actually used to write, and those late night poetry slams in Jump City were really cool. Maybe I'll get back into it. But I'm-"

"-See, there you go! You HAVE to perform at my open mic event! And you can invite your man. Why have you neglected to mention this as long as you've been working here?!" Interrupts Zatanna.

"For this exact reason, I knew you'd try to force me into something ridiculous. I am NOT reading poetry on stage. And I'd appreciate it if you would stop shipping me and one of my oldest friends!" Rachel says in an exasperated tone.

"Fine, fine. But you can't deny that you two have chemistry. Even your names sound good together, Richie and Rachel. Nightwing and Raven, it has that dark, sexy ring to it. You can be like a sexy goth power couple-"

"- Zee!" Raven growls as her eyes glow ominously red.

"Okay, okay jeez!" she squeals. "No need to be such a witch."

When Rachel gets home that night she gives Richie a call, to let him know about the open mic event she'd been roped into doing next month. He gets the call as he was suiting up, to answer the Bat Signal. He hangs up just as he hops into the Batmobile. Robin is waiting impatiently in the passenger seat.

"The good thing about impersonating Batman is getting to drive the Batmobile!"

"You should let me drive, so you can text your new girlfriend from the coffee shop."

"I knew you were following me yesterday, you little shit. And she's not my girlfriend. See this is why you need to be in regular school, you have too much free time. And as for driving, you can't even reach the pedals little man." Richie says, as he starts up the Batmobile.

"I'm gonna be a fulltime crusader like you and Tim, so what does it matter?"

"It matters because I've paid my dues. And so has Tim. We both graduated college with honors, so a no-show job at Wayne Tech makes sense on paper. You've got a 2.1 average last I checked. I was leading the Titans at your age, not video chatting on Anonymous Gram."

"Blah, blah. I'm gonna be the next Batman for real; you're just a jealous backup."

"Yeah right. I never wanted to be Batman, you can keep this. Nightwing suits me just fine. But be careful with that confidence, you might eat your words. Timmy's gonna give you a run for your money. He would be Batman if I wasn't around. And God forbid, if anything happened to Bruce; Tim would be the fulltime replacement, not me. You could end up being Robin for the rest of your life kid."

"Whatever. You're just jealous because my Robin suit is way cooler than your old speedo outfit."

The sibling rivalry continues even into adulthood. Richie finds himself petulantly arguing with a teenager more times than he'd care to admit. Deep down he cares a lot about his Bat siblings and wants nothing less than success from them, just like Bruce.

Robin defeats Batman in a grappling hook race up to the Gotham City police station rooftop, where Comissioner Gordon is standing vigil next to the Bat Signal.

"So, what we got today comish?" Says Robin as he emerges from the shadows.

"A case far too tough for the likes of you. You should leave the kid out of this one, Batman." warns Commissioner Gordon. "We've been getting wild reports of random violent outbursts all over the city. Even one of our own has succumbed to this 'madness'. He keeps spouting nonsense about us all being demons that need cleansing. We think it's some intense form of fear toxin, but we can't find any trace of it. He's in the psych ward at Gotham Memorial, if you want to talk to him." The Commissioner turns and starts walking toward the stairs. "By the way, you seem to have lost some weight. Lookin' younger, old pal." (Foreshadowing the case for the Justice League: Dark storyline.)

"Yeah, I've been swimming and watching my carbs." Says Batman as he slinks back into the shadows and disappears into the night.

Batman questions Skarecrow and Joker, beating the crap out of both lunatics, but getting nowhere. They apparently had nothing to do with the random acts of violence. Maybe it was Poison Ivy… She and Harley Quinn are the only rogues currently on the loose. Penguin is also out on good behavior but has maintained a low profile. Batman pays the Penguin a visit at the Iceberg Lounge, to question him and get a lead on the location of Harley and Ivy…

"They have made a few recent appearances at the lounge but I have no idea where they're staying, honest! I'm running a legitimate business here, I'm out of the game so to speak. So I don't have much information to offer on the criminal element anymore." Squeals the Penguin.

"What type of event were you hosting when they showed up?" Robin inquires.

"Hmm, it was a costume party, I believe." That is the last time I saw them

"Have another one. Commands Batman." He and Robin then disappear into the dark, just as quietly as they came.

Two weeks later, Richie goes undercover with Rachel, he somehow gets her to agree to be his date to the Iceberg Lounge. They arrive in cheap Ra's al Ghul and Catwoman outfits, playing the classy Gothamite couple role and having at least a few to not seem suspicious. They slow dance at the center of the ballroom floor. All the while, they're scanning the crowds for Harley and Ivy. After a few hours, their targets finally show up. Harley just loves costume parties, so it was a no brainer to set her up this way. Ivy is nowhere to be seen, however there is a strange woman with Harley. "She has a strange aura about her, most likely a lightning user." Rachel whispers into Richie's ear as they slow dance.

"Batman and Black Bat are gonna have a talk with her."

"Black Bat?"

"Well, yeah. You need a good disguise, unless you wanna get attacked on the street or at work. This ain't Jump City, Rae. Let's get going."

They weave their way through the mobs of drunken Iceberg patrons and out the club doors. Alfred awaits patiently in the parking lot. He sits in the car, reading some old English novel. He takes notice of Richie and Rachel approaching, and instinctively steps out of the car to open the door for them. He gently closes the door behind them.

"Did you find what you were searching for, sir?" asks Alfred, after starting the engine.

"We did. Why don't you take the night off Alfie and we'll take it from here." Says Richie as he pulls the Black Bat and Bat suits out of a hidden compartment. He then hands them off to Raven who stuffs them into her bag.

"Alright Master Richie, just call if you need anything. You take care of Miss Raven"

"Yeah. See ya later."

"Bye, Alfie!" smiles Rachel as she manifests her black aura around herself and Richie. The black aura flies from the roof of the car and forms into a giant ethereal raven with glowing white eyes! Raven and Richie shoot up into the scarlet skies of Gotham and disappear like a UFO. Raven then teleports them to the Bat-Cave.

"You should be able to fit into the Black Bat suit, here."

"So am I an official Bat-clanswoman now?"

"Just put the dang thing on and let's go, Raven."

"Sassy, sassy. You should be Catwoman's successor." Rachel jests as she walks into the Bat-Lady Locker room to change.

Black Bat teleports Batman and herself to a high-rise rooftop overlooking the Iceberg Lounge. She sits down in the lotus position and sends her astral form into the Lounge to ascertain Harley's location. She is sitting in the VIP dressed as the Black Canary.

"I've located her. Now what?"

"We wait. Hopefully not for too long."

Eventually, Harley and the mystery woman stumble out of the Lounge, drunk and rowdy. Alongside 4 huge bodyguards. "Alright, time for some fun Rae. Just like old times" Says Batman, before he swoops down with the glider membrane built into his suit. He kicks Harley's burly bodyguard in the face, lands and sweeps the other one off his feet. Raven punches both of the other guards with a giant ethereal fist, smashing them into the wall. Before she can react, Batman has Harley pinned against the wall face first, clenching her wrist and pressing it up against her back. "Not so rough, Mr. Batman. I ain't done nothin'. I may have broken outta Arkham, but it wasn't my fault. Ivy took me hostage-"

"I don't give a crap about that. Tell me everything you know about-" Batman is interrupted by a thunderous explosion! The mystery woman with Harley is none other than, Livewire. The crazy lightning wielding meta-human from Metropolis. "I bet your side kick didn't expect that. I deep fried her!" Livewire cackles. Before she can finish her maniacal laughing fit, two huge black hands smack her and she goes flying, skipping down the street like a smooth stone thrown over a lake. She crashes into an abandoned building. Raven's black energy manifests on the ground like a rain puddle and she slowly rises out of it with a deadly smirk on her face. "Deep fried who?" says Black Bat (Raven). Livewire's eyes flutter open to reveal Robin kneeling over her, fastening the lock on her rubber straight jacket. "Hope you don't drop the soap, lady. You're going back to Metahuman Prison." Says Robin, before spraying her with knockout gas. Just to be safe.

"Robin, you finish hanging these goons up, and we'll go after Ivy. Hurry so you can back us up."

"Y-Yeah. Later." Stammers Robin. Batman doesn't usually leave him with this much responsibility. But Robin can handle himself.

Batman and Black Bat disappear into a black portal. They reappear a short distance from Poison Ivy's last known hideout, at an abandoned zoo.

"What do you see?" says Batman.

"As to be expected, she has a bunch of plant bodyguards and trip wires set all over the place. She's in the back of the zoo, at the exotic plant nursery. She's frantic, and packing things. We must hurry." Says Black Bat.

"Hmm, can you get me in there?"

"Yeah, it's not too far. So what's the plan?"

"I'm going to hopefully knock her out with a surprise attack, then come and help you with the plant security. But in case that doesn't happen, you'll be flying around assaulting the plants from above. You take them, while I take Ivy."

"Fine. Let's do it."

She opens a portal and Batman leaps in. Black Bat then flies up into the sky, mouthing her mantra as she rises. She uses her astral form to trip the wire, alerting the guards. 30 men appear from the bushes and transform into plant-beasts shaped like zoo animals. Raven's eyes glow white as she levitates an elephant plant, and rips it apart. Green ooze, leaves, and wood shards spatter everywhere. She uses the leftover trunk to smash through the remaining four elephant creatures. They utter shrill shrieks of defeat as Black Bat flies around, shooting and slashing through them with her black energy. She even forms a giant pair of ethereal hedge cutters. Before she's finished, the plant beasts are fleeing in terror of her.

Black Bat steps back from the heap of plant matter and green ooze to admire her handiwork. It's been a long time since she's gotten in a good workout like this. She then uses her astral form to locate Batman and Ivy. Batman is hanging in there, but looks like he could use some assistance. He is facing a ten foot Plant Man with stretchy tentacles while Ivy shoots at him from a distance with her lethal poison dart rifle. He is backing down a skinny bridge with Ivy on one end and the plant-man on the other end.

"This is the end for you Batman!" Ivy cries shrilly as she reloads her rifle. Her plant-man screeches in agreement. The plant-man blasts his tentacles towards Batman, but he dives off of the bridge and careens toward the ground below. But before he hits the ground, Batman fires his grappling hook up to the ceiling and zips upward at an incredible speed. Ivy shoots her dart rifle furiously at him, missing every shot. Batman hooks another wire around the plant-man's ankle, and drags him up to the ceiling. The plant-man decapitates himself on the bridge railing as Batman's zip wire violently drags him skyward, ankle first. Ivy is enraged, but steadies her aim at Batman, dangling helplessly above.

"You seem to be out of those pesky grappling hooks, now it's time to finish you off for good. So long!"

Black Bat moves in to help Batman, but hesitates when she notices someone else charging into the battle. She is curious to see what the newest Robin is capable of, so she hangs back just a bit. Robin is swift, extremely swift. He leaps down towards them; and fires his grappling hook at a bannister adjacent to Poison Ivy. Robin zips himself toward Ivy at a blinding speed, slicing her rifle in half with his sword. Ivy is unable to react, and forced to surrender; with Robin's cold steel pressed up against the soft flesh of her throat. Black Bat flies up to the ceiling to get Batman, who's stuck up there with nowhere to jump and no more grappling hooks.

Careful to stay out of arm's reach from this deadly vixen, Robin strikes again with the knockout gas. This time, however things don't go as planned. "Robin!" Barks Batman from above. But it's too late; Ivy kicks Robin in the crotch while he's tying her hands to her back. He doubles over in excruciating pain. She's immune to most toxins, including knockout gas, and was merely playing possum. Before she can do anymore damage, Black Bat summons two black ethereal fists that slam into Ivy's back; smashing her into a wall and nearly killing her. Black Bat then reads her mind while she lay unconscious. Unfortunately, she knows nothing of the Fear Toxin epidemic.

"You alright kid? Come on, get up. Walk it off." Commands Batman as he helps the ailing Robin to his feet. "Always remember that Ivy is immune to pretty much any chemical type thing we have in stock. Just knock her out the old fashioned way, she's a murderous terrorist. She'd kill you, no hesitation. Throw chivalry out of the window when dealing with female rogues. Nice entrance though, you're faster and more skilled than I was your age."

"Of course I am. I'm the best Robin, and I'll be the best Batman. Hurry and string her up so we can get out of here." Snaps Robin as he walks his pain off.

"He is a little shit". Black Bat whispers into Batman's ear.

"Eh, he's not so bad. He's just ashamed that he screwed up in front of a pretty girl." says Batman as he finishes stringing Poison Ivy up for the authorities. The trio disappears into Black Bat's black portal and reappear in the Bat Cave.

"Another job well done, gang!" Richie reaches up high for a group Hi-5, but both Robin and Raven leave him hanging. Robin walks off without saying anything, he's certainly his father's son. Raven simply smirks at him then walks off to the ladies Bat-Locker Room.

Rachel returns with the Black Bat suit in hand. "Here. It was a little too tight, so we'll need to get something made for me." Rachel says flatly.

He sits down in front of the Bat-Computer. "It fit you just right if you ask me. And that means you'll take me up on my offer, right?" Says Richie.

"No Richie, I'm not committing to all of that yet. Maybe in time. But the times when you need me, of course I'll help you. And I'll need a cowl just in case, like you said, you pervert."

"Yeah, sorry. I didn't mean to pressure you. I'll get you that cowl as soon as possible. So do you want to hang out here for a while? Bruce has an awesome view on his balcony."

"Okay cool, I deserve a reward after helping you with all that craziness. I want pancakes."

"Okay, done. Anything else?" Richie asks, as they climb the staircase.

"Hash browns. And a milkshake."

"You certainly have distinct tastes, Raven."

"Give me a break, I work at a diner."

…

After a long night of chasing down leads and kicking ass, Richie and Rachel unwind at the manor. They sit out on Bruce's balcony overlooking the ocean. Ever since the early Teen Titans days, Robin and Raven always told each other everything. All of their secrets. They became confidantes and best friends after the incident when the spirit of Deathstroke was haunting Richie. Rae saw deeper into his mind than anyone had ever seen. She was the first recruit of the Titans, the second in command. Richie and Rachel were so close that it made Starfire jealous.

"So we staked out for hours, had a huge battle, and got nothing from it? Perfect." Says Raven

"Well, yeah. All in a day's work. We can scratch all of our known criminals off the list at least. And three dangerous criminals are off the streets. Seven including their bodyguards. Gotta look at the bright side." Richie mutters between sips of his tea.

"So why'd you really leave the Titans? You never briefed me on what happened with that, best friend." Richie says, curiously.

Rachel groans. "Leave it to you to break out the personal questions."

Richie laughs. "No secrets between us, right?"

"Whatever. Not like I care anymore, so here it is." Rachel prepared to unload her drama on her friend, just like old times. "I guess I just needed a new life, like you did. Garfield and I were just too different, he couldn't accept me for who I am. You know how that goes. The bastard couldn't even apologize when I found out about him cheating on me with Terra. I should have known, but I played dumb. All the nights he left me home alone to 'play videogames with the boys at the Tower.' He'd be with her. Apparently it was my fault for being 'boring'." Rachel said bitterly.

"Just because I don't like to shake my ass in clubs every weekend doesn't make me boring. We really should have never been together in the first place, the whole 'opposites attract' thing is a total lie." Deadpans Rachel. "Starfire knew for months, she claimed she wanted to say something. But Garfield made her promise to let him tell me in his own way. All of our so called friends covered for him too. I couldn't believe they'd humiliate me like that. There was no way I was staying on that team. I needed to move on, and so I did." Rachel said flatly.

"Wow, I would have quit too. If I was there I would have kicked his ass and made him tell you! And it disappoints me that the team would do that to you. I wish I was there, I would have never let that go down. I'm sorry that happened to you, Rae." Said Richie sullenly.

Rachel sips her milkshake, staring down at the rocks below. "I know you wouldn't, Richie. But the past is the past, can't change it now. So what happened between you and Starfire, nosey?" said Rachel in a playful tone.

"Well, I can accept my part in pushing her away. I mean I pushed half of my friends away, even you." Said Richie, with regret creeping into his voice. "Some people still have negative feelings about me. It's funny because I became just like how you were in the early days, brooding, reclusive, and cynical."

"Gee, thanks best friend." Deadpans Rachel. "But I guess it is the truth, and I was almost impossible to deal with as a friend back then, let alone a girlfriend. So you can't blame Star too much for wanting out." Said Rachel softly.

"But that doesn't mean Star wasn't wrong too. She would constantly nag, begging me to 'Return to the boy she fell in love with.' She just would not accept that the blithe Boy Wonder she fell in love with was 16 years old. People change in 5 years." Said Richie in a brooding tone. "Relationships aren't always bubbly walks in the park, they take work. I'm sure she's told you most of the story. I spent more nights in Bludhaven than with her in our apartment, and there is no excuse for that."

Rachel nods her head, listening intently. "I thought I was handling my responsibilities as a man, but I forgot about my responsibility to her. She was so childish about expressing her wants and needs though, I didn't know how to deal with it. I don't do pouting, I'll just wait until you're ready to be an adult." Said Richie stubbornly. "One day I came home and she was gone, 'Moved out and moved on.' She handled the whole break up like a child; everything from the 'Dear John' letter, to the posts on Anonymous-Gram."

Richie continues. "Now she and Roy have a thing. I know people like to have random sex these days, but there's no way I'd ever mess around with the ex of one of my friends. I haven't talked to Roy since my Robin days though. So I guess it's 'fair game'." Richie said sarcastically. "I don't know if she did that to spite me, or just because she felt like it. She's definitely changed. From the naïve princess that I met in Jump City, to one of those blithering socialites that I can't stand. But everyone changes, so I shouldn't complain. Like you said, it was for the best. Some people are meant to be in your life for a time, and some are there the whole time." Said Richie, as he laid back in his lawn chair.

"Honestly, I always thought Star was kind of a bitch. She'd be perfect for Gar. But let's stop talking about old news and move to some juicier stuff. Like why you and Batman are always so catty toward each other." Rachel asks.

"Now who's being nosey?" Richie retorts.

"No secrets between us, right best friend?" Says Rachel cheekily.

"Well, since we're confessing things, I guess I could tell you some of the reasoning behind the 'Bad Blood'. Bruce and I never really saw eye to eye on methods, but it wasn't too bad until I got to be about 15." Said Richie, as he stirred his tea. "Something was beginning to change in him; he was getting colder. He would do things like, interrogating crooks at their family homes, in front of their children. He got a little better when Batgirl came on the scene, but things got really complicated when I found out that she was my then-girlfriend, Barb Gordon. And Bruce knew the whole time." Pangs of deep seated anger burn through his calm façade.

"Uh-oh, then what?" asks Rachel.

"I punched the jerk out, and quit. And just my luck, Wally had recently won the lottery; and bought a mansion on a private island in Jump City." Richie nudges and winks at her, in case she didn't catch his allusion to the origin story of their T-shaped Island Fortress. "He invited me to move in with him after hearing about my issues with Batman, so I left. And the glory days began; Me, Wally, and Roy. Three ousted sidekicks ready to kick some ass and enjoy Jump City! We were ready to fund the Titans ourselves, but that all changed when Batman showed up. I imagine he feels some sort of responsibility for me since I was his ward and all, or maybe he saw it as killing two birds with one stone. Spreading his ring of influence and getting me out of the way. I don't know why he decided to fund the Titans, but I am glad he did." Richie explains.

"So why don't you like him? He seems pretty chill to me. Besides him being a prick." Says Rachel.

"I'm getting to that. So Barb and I couldn't do the long distance superhero relationship thing anymore and broke up. Fast forward a few years to when I return to Gotham after leaving the Titans. Barb and I sparked up that old flame again, everything was peachy until she revealed that she and Bruce had been having sex for years. It started soon after I left and ended a few months prior to my return, it's almost like they sensed my intentions to return; or were keeping tabs on me, you never know with him. Anyway, you know Bruce; the most you'll get out of him is a half assed apology." Says Richie bitterly.

"What'd he say?" Inquired Rachel softly.

"Some bullshit like, 'It was the past, and you weren't together anymore. I'm sorry you were hurt by our actions' I guess he thought we had the same goals again." Says Richie sarcastically.

His anger begins to give way to sadness. Raven picks up on all the unseen pain Richie has been carrying in his soul all these years. She always understood his Batman-like antics better than everyone else. She understood what could never be said. He was a damaged boy raised by a damaged man. Bruce wasn't capable of much in the sense of emotional support; but he saved him from the hard life of being a ward of the state, and possibly a life of crime.

"And so I left again, returned to Bludhaven permanently, and cut ties with the Bat clan once again." Richie says indifferently. "That's when I began to change for the worse. I got tired of playing by the rules, and waiting for the next time one of those lunatics struck again."

"That's what happens when you play their game." Says Raven as she sips the last of her milkshake.

"Yeah. You have to watch them slip through the 'criminal justice' system, and you can't touch them until they've gone on their latest killing spree. So I started making my own rules. I started with the Doll Maker. I traced a missing child back to one of his hideouts, and I'll spare you the details of what I found. Let's just say it was enough for him to 'slip and fall to his death.'" Said Richie in a dark tone. "There were many more after him. I became the first Red Hood. I decided to kill, rob, and extort the villains I hunted. For years, I went on like that. I even fought against my old friends sometimes. It's funny because Bruce was actually right about something for once. I couldn't stop."

"What made you change back?" Rachel asks apprehensively.

"Well, one night I kicked in some jerk's window to question him. Broken glass flew everywhere, it cut his wife up pretty good. Even worse, it was his kid's birthday. He swore he'd kill me when he got old enough. I took a real hard look at myself that night. With a father like that, he's a shoe-in for his local gang. Nothing I say or do can likely change that. But I removed all possibility for him to see the light. I hurt his mom, beat up his dad, and ruined his birthday, all with a red Bat Symbol on my chest. I finally realized that what I was doing was hurting, not helping the cause. I remembered that was the type of thing Batman was doing the night I quit being Robin. I ended up ten times worse than him, after vowing to never become like him." Richie says regretfully.

"After some soul searching, I decided that it was time for a change. And that was the end of the Red Hood; until Jason took up the helmet. I eventually came back here, to my family. I decided that Alfred and the others shouldn't suffer because of my qualms with Bruce, they'd always call to check on me during my prodigal years. When Bruce disappeared, I played Batman in his absence. Ever since then he's made me his official stand-in when he needs to go off on Justice League business. As usual, what's best for Bruce is best for everyone else too." Says Richie, as he watches the clouds float through the night sky. "Things will never be the same between Bruce and I, not that he doesn't try. He always tries to buy me back, taking us all out on luxurious vacations or family dinners whenever I come around and what not."

"I don't think he's trying to buy you back." Rachel says. "I think he's trying really hard to patch things up with his eldest son. Even though he's failing at it. Zee said something similar about her father. He was insufferable at times, but she still loved him. Some people will never change, and it sucks when those people are close to you, since you can't exactly just cut them off. But Bruce is only capable of so much, and you'll likely have to accept that. Maybe you should think about just forgiving him."

Richie shifts in his lawn chair. "That'd be easier if Batman wasn't such an ass. He treats us like chess pieces, moving us around wherever he sees fit. I'm the designated impersonator, Tim is the substitute Nightwing, only the little shit Damian gets to keep his job as part-time Robin.

Raven looks over sharply at Richie. "You sound like a kid complaining about his parental issues to an orphan. At least he didn't rape your mother, kill your people, and attempt to use you as a weapon of mass destruction. If you hate it so much, you can just leave again."

Richie is surprised by Rachel's harsh words. But he knows she speaks out of love, not malice. "You're right, I'm sorry. I sound like a huge baby, I can't run away from everything I don't like, though. That isn't me. I just feel like a zombie sometimes, on auto pilot, going through the motions. I want to snap out of it, but I don't know how to anymore. I guess I lost myself in all of the identities, Batman, Nightwing, but who is Richie Grayson? He says sullenly.

She sighs. "I know exactly how you feel, Richie. I've felt the same ever since leaving the Titans. But I can't believe you of all people are feeling lost. I guess I had you up on a pedestal from looking to you as a leader for so long. But if you don't remember, I do." She says, while staring intently into his eyes.

"You're Richie Grayson, the fearless hero who gave his life to fighting crime. You love helping people, and stopping tragedies before they happen. You've saved the lives of countless people, including mine. You haven't lost yourself, just buried it beneath a bunch of bullshit." Says Raven incisively.

"You deal with the darkest stuff humanity has to offer every night. Nobody can do that alone, besides jerks like Bruce Wayne or Harvey Bullock. Maybe you should look into showing up to that no-show job of yours at Wayne Tech. You've always been a talented inventor, just like your big brother Brucie." Raven jests. "It could serve as a good relief from all the craziness of super heroism."

"Did you just make that word up?" Richie asks.

"Sure did."

"Super heroism. It sounds like a mental illness. You are right though, as always. Likewise, I think you would benefit from returning to the hero scene. With me."

"What, as your sidekick?"

"No, as my partner."

"Well I said I'll think about it, Richie. Give me some time."

"Of course, Rae. But you can't lie, you enjoyed tonight. I saw that smirk on your face as you smacked the crap out of Ms. Sparkypants earlier." Says Richie.

Raven laughs. "Ms. Sparkypants? Golly gee Richie Grayson, you're still the corniest person I've ever met."

Richie laughs too, looking over at his old friend and grinning. "You know me. I have been thinking about the job thing too. I do actual work for Wayne Tech. from time to time; like when I need extra money for my bike for instance. I might get on part time at the Bludhaven facility." Richie says casually. "I don't really want much more for myself at this point in time, to be honest. I have a steady source of income from reopening Haley's Circus and my stipend from Wayne Tech. But working at something else does relieve the pressures of crime fighting, and I definitely will move up in the ranks and make more money as I get older. We're getting old, Rae, 25. Time to start buying houses, domesticating and what not. According to the world's time clock."

"Heh. Been there, done that. I can wait a few years before trying all that again, I'm doing it right the next time. I refuse to deal with any of the basic crap that most people come with today. That's why I've been happily single for the past 5 years. None of these losers deserve my time. And if I can't find anyone worth my time, I'm perfectly fine becoming a crazy old cat lady." Rachel says bluntly, with attitude creeping into her monotonous voice.

Richie lets out a loud belly laugh at the thought of seeing Raven twenty years from now as a mean old 'cat-mommy', scaring children off her lawn on Halloween. "Amen to that sister. These mindless socialites just throw themselves at anyone with looks, money and status. And most of the superheroines are so high on themselves, or this plastic culture that they're incapable of real relationships. Aw, look at us we must sound like haters." He says sarcastically.

"I don't hate anyone. I just feel sorry for them, and completely avoid any of their nonsense. We merely made observations, that some may find offensive. Oh well." Rachel says flatly.

"Right. I'm just not down with it. I don't care what they do." Richie yawns. "I'm getting tired, you sleeping over Rae? Or you want me to take you home?"

"I can teleport and fly, you know."

"Of course, sorry. Just a common courtesy."

"Thanks Richie, always the gentleman."

They share a long hug and bid each other a goodnight. Raven teleports home, tip toing past Zatanna's room and into her own. Later when she is in bed, she reflects on the crazy night she had with Richie, and kind of wishes she stayed over at the manor with him. Not in a sexual way, she merely missed all the late night chats they always used to have at Titans Tower. Maybe she's always had a crush on Richie, but even if that is true she isn't ready to admit it. Not to herself or anyone else.


End file.
